Some Embarrassing facts about Spider-Man that any (good) fan would know
Spider-Man is considered one of the greatest comic book characters of all-time, and it’s not really all that hard to understand why. Peter Parker has remained a constant for Marvel over the years, and while there have certainly been some dark periods for the character in terms of the stories being told, it’s hard to find a fan who doesn’t love the wall-crawler.
Spider-Man’s big screen debut in 2002 was nothing short of groundbreaking, and Spider-Man 2 is still considered one of the greatest superhero movies of all-time. Spider-Man 3 not so much, while the rebooted The Amazing Spider-Man franchise appears to have stopped his momentum dead thanks to some terrible decisions behind the scenes.
He Wasn’t Marvel’s First Spider-Man
Spider-Man made his debut in the final issue of Amazing Fantasy, but he wasn’t exactly Marvel’s first spider themed character! In the 1950s, comic book readers weren’t really all that interested in superheroes, so monster and sci-fi stories dominated.
Just a month before Spidey appeared in the Marvel Universe, an issue of Journey Into Mystery featured a tale called “Where will you be, when… The Spider Strikes!” focusing on a normal household spider who was transformed by radioactive rays. This Man-Spider could speak, but was killed by the issue’s end. It’s a shame he’s never turned back up to face Spider-Man.
He Was A Member Of Fantastic Four
Spider-Man once joined Marvel’s only superhero family, The Fantastic Four. With the death of the Human Torch, they were looking for other members to join their team. Spider-Man eventually filled the hole left by Johnny Storm, and the team name changed to the Fantastic Foundation. Spidey was upgraded with a brand new suit that allowed him to switch between civilian clothes and his costume with just his mind.
He Has Radioactive Sperm, Apparently
Spider-Man: Reign showed a possible future for Peter Parker in a world similar to that of Batman’s in The Dark Knight Returns. When the aged Spidey once again decided to suit up in a bid to save the the citizens of a corrupted New York City, it’s revealed that he buried his costume with his wife Mary Jane Watson after her death.
How did she die? Well, it turns out that it’s not only Spider-Man’s blood which is radioactive, and years of contact with Peter’s bodily fluids resulted in her eventual death. Sex with Spider-Man can kill you apparently! Here’s hoping Peter gave Black Cat a quick heads up after Mary Jane’s demise anyway…
He Once Transformed Into A Spider
Spider-Man has undergone various transformations over the years. He even had six arms at one point! However, one of the most bizarre came when he literally became a giant spider. This was all part of a convoluted storyline which seemed to only exist to bring the comics and movies closer together, as the end result – when Peter “hatched” from the spider you see above – saw him given organic web shooters like the ones featured in Sam Raimi’s movies.
The new status quo lasted for a few years, but Spider-Man eventually went back to his original mechanical webshooters as part of a reboot of sorts in Brand New Day.
His Greatest Enemy Got His Girlfriend Pregnant
One of the most controversial Spider-Man stories of all-time, it was revealed in Sins Pas” that Gwen Stacy had an affair with the middle-aged Norman Osborn as a teenager. She fled to Europe and had the twins in secret, but the Goblin Serum in their system would cause them to rapidly age, and they returned years later to try and kill Spider-Man after Norman successfully found and brainwashed them.
The story also revealed that Peter and Gwen had never had sex, and many fans felt like it completely ruined the legacy of one of only a handful of characters who have remained dead. As a result, it’s now never referred to.
His Web Fluid Lasts Only An Hour
Just like in The Amazing Spider-Man movies, Peter Parker crafted some web-shooters for himself as a teenager in order to get around New York City as quickly as possible by swinging from building to building. However, luckily for window cleaners and the bad guys he uses it on to keep them in once place, his webbing dissolves after an hour or so.
That changed when Spider-Man used organic webbing for a time, but the reason for it not lasting is actually a lot cleverer than just keeping his city tidy. Stan Lee created this proviso in order to avoid Peter being able to sell his formula, thus getting rich off an effective new adhesive!